Railroad-switch



(No Model.)

v J. ELMER.

RAILROAD SWITCH.

No 277,697. Patented May 15,1883.

Ingenf'n Vmd y iii/wag:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB ELMEE, on BILOXI, MISSISSIPPI.

RAILROAD-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 277,697, dated May 15,1883.

I Application filed November 8, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB ELMER,ofBiloxi, in the county of Harrison andState of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Railroad-Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompany ing drawings andletters of reference marked thereon, in which Figure 1 is a plan view ofthe main-track rails, a siding, and switch-rails. Fig. 2 is across-section of the switch-rails in the line or m, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is aperspective view of the spring-pressed pawls. Fig. 4 is a detail plan ofthe rack-bar, and Fig. 5 is an under side view of the pinion of thehand-wheel and the pawls for holding it in any desired position.

My invention relates to improvements in railroad-switches; and itconsists in the pecuilar construction and arrangement of the parts,

as hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

O C. The rack-bar I, and with it the switch- I rails G O, is adapted tobe reciprocated on a plate, 0, provided with guides K K, which diroot orguide the movements of the rack-bar back and forth by means of ahand-wheel, M, carrying a cog-wheel, N, on its axis, which cog-gearmeshes with the rack-bar I, and imparts a reciprocating motion in eitherdirection to the rack-bar which carries the switchrails.

1) represents a short shaft supported in bearings in uprights N, securedto a. continuation of one of the cross-ties.

To the shaft 1) are pivoted the pawls L L, supported by spiral springstheir lower ends resting on the crosstie and their upper ends bearingagainst the pawls L L, the tension of which springs is exerted to forcethe pawls into engagement with the two arcs of ratchet teeth N arrangedon the bottom of the cogwheel N, and on opposite sides of its center, tohold the switch-rails in any desired position.

\Vhat claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with the pivoted switchra-ils (l G, of the rack-bar l,hand-wheel M, cogwheel N, provided with ratchet-teeth N N on its underface and lying on opposite sides of its center, and springpressed pawlsL L, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

JACOB ELMER. Witnesses:

L. B. WE'IZEL, J. R. NIXON,

